


Stories of Rejects

by Weesnaw



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Casteism, Discrimination, F/F, Fusion, Gem Violence, Gen, Homeworld-typical Fusionphobia, Multi, Non-Graphic Violence, Post-Gem War, Pre-Gem War, Rejection, based on defects, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-06
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-09 15:58:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11107920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weesnaw/pseuds/Weesnaw
Summary: The Off-colors each went through an ordeal before coming together. This will be updated eventually, I cannot guarantee when. :(





	1. A Padparadscha Sapphire

There she existed, a wall of gneiss surrounding her very being. Every now and then her gemstone took energy in, the material around her losing it in turn. A comforting state of slumber, something she wasn’t aware of, she’d never even remember, and, _oh_ , was that talking she heard?

“It seems as though I’ll emerge.” She stood and clasped her hands before her, suddenly aware of her gemstone embedded in her right hand. A few Gems bustled around near her, but one stayed in a fixed position: right in front of her.

“Oh. Uhm, yeah… Yes. Alright, erm, as I was saying, you’ll need to answer a few important questions before I’m able to send you out with the Agate for scheduling.”

“Indeed” She smiled. She _had_ emerged. Her newly developed senses took in everything she had just experienced. _How pleasant_. The Peridot standing before her nodded, looking around for some potential quiz material.

“Tell me, um, what do those two Aquamarines plan on doing with that defective Ruby?” Her patron delivered the question before turning to take in the scene unfolding before them. Her gaze lingered straight ahead for a few moments, until she turned to share the sight of the Peridot. _Oh_.

“You see, the amount of chromium in her gemstone is too slight.” Said one Aquamarine to another. Their neon bodies were adorned with blue garb. “This caused her color to be a light pink in hue, _quite_ unsavory for a Ruby.” She explained to her companion, as if schooling her. The Peridot glanced down upon her, a Sapphire, expecting a revelation at any moment. The Aquamarines continued, not paying a single word to the fearful Ruby crouched below them.

“Will we need to shatter her?” The learning gem inquired, furrowing her brow as if the act was as unsavory as the pink Ruby.

“No, we weren’t sent to shatter. A Ruby’s gem is very hard, quite a task to shatter, really. Instead we can take her in for reheating - that’s why we’re here! Maybe that will improve her functionality and coloration.” The well-versed Aquamarine produced a baton: the dissipating weapon.

“W-wait…. Uh,” The Ruby in question rose to her feet and covered her gem gingerly with a hand. “What does r-reheating mean? What’ll happen to m-” A beam of light shot from the Aquamarine’s baton, wrapping around the Ruby and crushing her form. She exploded into the air, her gemstone falling to the Kindergarten floor, before she could finish her word. The younger Aquamarine retrieved her gem from the ground, handing it to her companion. 

“Now, if the reheating of her Gem doesn’t fix her impurities, _then_ she’ll be shattered, but that’s not _our_ job. Rubies are getting expensive, you know.” The companion was quick to dismiss the thought of breaking from their minds, gripping the Ruby’s gem tightly.

 

The Peridot had now turned to face her, to face the Sapphire she was expecting to be impressive. She’d been tapping her foot the whole time; the Sapphire had only just noticed. _They won’t shatter her, but-_

“Why didn’t you answer me? Didn’t you hear me when I asked you?”

“Oh! They plan to take her gem for reheating, in order to fix the physical defect she has.” She grinned, then frowned as she processed the meaning of her words.

“I know! That just happened! Why can’t you- ugh!” The Peridot produced her screen and recorded her findings, making selections based on the Sapphire.

“Hey, you, the Peridot, over there! Don’t speak so rudely to a- woah!” An Aquamarine had hovered over to the two, stopping to take in the sight. “A _Padparadscha_ Sapphire? In _this_ Corundum _dump?_ ”

The other turquoise gem laughed, angling her head toward the Peridot. “She’s obviously wasting your time. Go on to your escort, get out of here.”

“Wait, w-with all due respect, I have reason to believe she-”

“I’ll be encouraged to leave soon.” Padparadscha spoke.


	2. A Defective Sapphire

The Padparadscha Sapphire had been out of her gneiss hole for less than half a star cycle, and she was already lost. A Gem shouted at her from a few steps away.

“My Clarity, once again, do follow me! You cannot just continue to wander off like that, I’m responsible for anything that happens to you- hey, can you hear me?” Her Condor Agate escort stopped in her tracks to latch onto the Sapphire’s skinny arm, yanking her in the designated direction.

“I see myself getting lost, oh dear!” She gasped putting her free arm up to her mouth.

“What? You _just_ \- urgh, we’re going the right way... what’s _wrong_ with you?” The Agate huffed in exasperation and moved the Sapphire so that she was facing her. The Sapphire didn’t react to being pulled and pushed around like so. The banded chalcedony raised an eyebrow. “Are just slow, or defective?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. It appears I cannot keep my sense of direction in check.” The Sapphire giggled in apology, waving her hand. The Agate scrunched her nose in disgust

“You!” A voice from behind the two shouted. The Condor Agate dropped The Padparadscha’s arm. “You there, the Agate! Face me.” She turned around to find a Painite and a Tanzanite rapidly approaching. She fumbled to salute lest her form dissipate out of sheer terror.

“State your Facet and Cut, please.” The Tanzanite held a yellow screen to record on, her empty eyes fixed upon the Quartz.

“Uh, Condor Agate, Facet 2B C-Cut 4XO.” The Padparadscha behind her gasped and tore her arms away from some invisible threat.

“Agate, you do _not_ speak to a _Sapphire_ in such a way. You do not handle a Sapphire in such a manner. Explain yourself now or your superiors and _Diamond_ will hear about this.” 

The Condor Agate opened her mouth, showing off her orange tongue, but no words could make it past her teeth. Her eyes caught her arms, which were stuck in a salute, and she dropped them quickly. The Tanzanite recorded her every movement; she swallowed her rising anxiety.

The Padparadscha, having just comprehended lines from the anterior of the conversation, voted to stay silent, mostly due to the fact that she didn’t know what was happening.

“She, uh,” The Agate forced her eyes to bore into the air past the two Elites before continuing. “She… I think she’s defective.” She let her eyes fall to the ground of the walkway at the last word.

“A defective Padparadscha, out of her Kindergarten. Who is responsible for this, Agate?” The Painite folded her arms behind her back.

“I am unaware of th-that, My Painite. I met with her right as she exited, I’m simply her escort to a spire.”

“Well that’s a shame. Tanzanite, what is the nature of her defect?” The Painite leaned her head toward her companion, trying to establish eye contact.

The blue Gem focused her depressed eyes onto the small orange being before her. “Retro-cognition.” She turned to the Agate to clarify, “she can only _see_ what’s already occurred.”

“Oh, that simply defeats her purpose.” The Painite scoffed and stepped closer to the Sapphire. “Can you hear me down there?” The Padparadscha frowned and stepped back.

“My escort shall declare that I’m defected.” Hurt laced her voice; she couldn’t comprehend what could possibly be wrong with her.

“Well, she shouldn’t be out and about. Not on _this_ planet. Agate, bring her over here. You’re strong, right? Do you possess a fine weapon?”

_I shouldn’t be around... them._

“Oh my. Where did she go?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this the day after I posted the first chapter but I ended up rewriting this about 3 times.  
> Thanks for reading!


	3. A Morganite's Pearl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 17 days fellas :)

She sits surrounded by those of her own cut, laughter in their air. Her eyes light up with every joke pronounced, her laugh soothing music to one’s ears. Her dark red skin, her mannerisms, _her_. So beautiful.

“Pearl?”

Her comrades busy themselves with locking the specimens, she votes to sit on the floor behind them and simply watch. Curious, so independent, carefree.

“Pearl, what are you looking at?”

You’re brought out of your daze by a small hand on your shoulder. You jump, twirl around and nearly topple off your feet.

The hand slowly removes itself from your deltoid. “Sorry to scare you like that, Pearl. What are you looking at?” Your Morganite chuckles, allows her wings to dissipate and drops to the floor. You quickly sneak a peek back to your eye-catcher, catching your Morganite’s _own_ attention. “What’s so _enthralling_ about our Rubies?” _Oh no_.

“I was just,” you quickly pull for words from your mind, “ _observing their technique_.” Yeah, that sounds good. Good job.

“Oh Pearl, don’t worry about them, you’re doing just fine! Here, come help me preserve the records, if you’re feeling down about recent events.” Recent events? As in, events that are recent? _Those_ events?

Oh, you’re not feeling _down_ about recent events, no, of course not. But your Morganite, sweet, caring Morganite, thinks you’ve been comparing yourself to her beloved Rubies. You don’t know how to tell her this, you don't really want to, so you rather follow her into her data room, your data room.

You turn before you allow the door to close, discovering the lack of Rubies behind you. Gone. You sigh and close the door behind you.

 

Your Morganite often gifts you praise for your record keeping abilities, as well as communication skills. Her Beryl colleagues chastise her easy-going attitude, her love for her subordinates. You’re unable to fathom _why_. Do others really live with such a lack of kindness?

 

You walk down the hall of your Morganite’s quarters, locked chest of data in hand. The wall ornaments around you are a mix of pink and white, still in remodeling. You are aware that the interior _should_ completely and utterly reflect the Diamond in command of the office, but the matter is only of your Morganite’s concern, so you will _not_ speak of it.

Less than a century ago, a war on a planet called Earth took a Diamond, your Morganite’s Diamond, Pink Diamond. That’s what you’re told. You weren’t around, but you’ve been able to see the aftermath. Your Morganite has always been a kind Gem, but whenever a mention of the late matriarch is in the air, sorrow clouds her love. 

You wonder if you’d feel that same sorrow should your Morganite, well… 

 

But what would happen to the Pearl of a shattered Gem?

 

You suddenly feel a heavy form ram into your long legs, the meeting of your head and the floor retrieving you from your thoughts. The chest now lies several steps away, open. Shards of purple litter the pristine white floors.

“Oh! No! I’m so sorry, I was just trying to f-find Morganite but I wasn’t looking at where I was going and...”

You stand to face the assailant, finding only a Ruby in front of you. _It’s her_. Your face instantly softens, and your eyes drift to the crimson gem on her navel. “It’s… alright.” You trail off, your words lost in place of silence. She merely stares up to meet your gaze, her mouth half open.

“Uh, yes! Morganite isn’t… _in_ currently. Very busy. I could, maybe, take a message for you?” You furrow your brow, force an awkward smile upon your countenance. You sure do look convincing.

“I don’t know, we don’t have that much time. Is she really not here? We need someone who can…” Her dark eyes lock with yours, and she pauses for a moment. “Some of the _things_ have come back.”

“Uh-What!? I thought you all locked them down!” You must fight to refrain from yelling. This hasn’t happened before. 

“Well, I’m not sure about what happened- oh!” Her hand is suddenly in your grip and you’re running to the specimen hall, your _data_ left behind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry about the unexpected break, summer courses have gotten in the way! Luckily they're mostly over with, so I'll be able to update more frequently.


End file.
